For many people, daily activities have become limited in recent years due to chronic pain. Do you have a sedentary job? Have the hours spent in front of the computer caused neck pain that affects you 24/7? If so, you need to take action, and one of the best solutions available to you is to see a chiropractor for neck pain. Why are more and more Australians suffering from chronic cervical pain? It's all about posture.

Our bodies are wonders of nature designed for walking and long-running sessions. In contrast, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day goes against our anatomy, and that, as time goes by, can lead to problems. Do you spend many hours hunched over a screen? Then this can lead to the weakening of your neck musculature, which in turn will cause tension headaches, numbness, aches, and stiffness. A massage for neck pain can be helpful in this case, as can spinal adjustments or ESWT.

Nevertheless, poor posture is just one of the many factors that can lead to musculoskeletal issues. Do you practice contact sports? Then, a minor injury to your neck structure could, over time, degenerate into a chronic condition that will require specialist help.  The same is true if you practice repetitive motions, as is the case in weightlifting, or if you have a physically demanding job that involves a lot of muscle strength. However, neck pain can also occur due to degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis or spondylosis. Is there hope? Yes, but it can only be offered by specialists with experience in their practice.

What Are the Most Common Ailments that Cause Neck Pain?

According to the ABS, between 70 and 90% of the Australian population will experience neck pain at some point in their lives, a percentage that should come as no surprise given the increasing incidence of globally reported musculoskeletal disorders. The most common cause of chronic or acute neck pain is poor posture, which is effectively a consequence of our lifestyle.

Muscle stiffness or neck tendon strains can often be resolved with a massage for neck pain and a change in daily habits. However, if the problem is left unresolved for too long, it can degenerate into complex ailments that will require the attention of a chiropractor for neck pain. Do you often wake up with a stiff neck? Then, like a good proportion of Australians, you may be suffering from cervical spondylosis, a condition in which the vertebrae's discs are affected by wear and tear. Spondylosis is a condition that affects nearly 100% of people over the age of 75.

Nevertheless, in recent years, the incidence rate of spondylosis in young adults has increased alarmingly, and today, globally, it is the second most reported cause of chronic neck pain. Chiropractic adjustments and deep tissue massages for neck pain can help and are effective in decreasing local inflammation. However, spondylosis is a chronic condition that, once diagnosed, will require lifelong treatment to keep it under control.

What Else?

Other causes that can lead to cervical pain are herniated discs, which can be treated with gentle spinal manipulation by skilled and licensed chiropractors, and severe affections like degenerative disc disease or cervical spinal stenosis. For these disorders, chiropractic treatment combined with shockwave therapy may have a positive effect, but if the disease has remained untreated for too long, surgical treatment may be recommended. A massage for neck pain, spinal adjustments or electrical stimulation therapy can help with many musculoskeletal issues. Still, for the procedures to be effective, the ailments must be detected early.

The services of a chiropractor for neck pain can be used as an adjuvant treatment in classical physical therapy. In addition, their effectiveness is scientifically proven, and they can relieve the consequences of our reliance on technology. However, chiropractic, like other medical practices, cannot work wonders, and there are certain types of ailments for which a massage for neck pain or a spinal adjustment will have limited effect. Severe inflammatory diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis or musculoskeletal pain caused by infections or fractures, will require specialised treatment, either medical or surgical.

Can chiropractic be helpful for these ailments? Yes, as chiropractic treatment can reduce acute pain and provide a long-term reduction in perceived discomfort. However, for some chronic conditions, local treatment can only do so much. On the other hand, for different ailments, such as neck pain caused by poor posture, scoliosis, strains, sciatica or whiplash, chiropractic is effective and, combined with an exercise plan adhered to by the patient, may even lead to the elimination of the problem. Is it magic? No, it's science, and in Australia, chiropractic is a regulated field in which results are supported by data.

What Treatments Can Be Performed by Chiropractors?

For one thing, all chiropractors licensed in Australia must be able to perform spinal adjustments. What are these? In simplified terms, they are corrective vertebral repositioning movements. Spinal manipulations have a marked effect in reducing local inflammation and decreasing muscle tension. So, they are recommended both for chronic problems such as spondylosis and for discomfort caused by poor posture. In addition to spinal adjustments, the chiropractor you see should be able to perform a deep tissue massage for neck pain, use stretching techniques to address muscle soreness and apply electrical stimulation therapy for local inflammation.

In addition to all these treatments, as with physiotherapists, chiropractors may recommend an exercise plan aimed at improving mobility and strengthening muscles. Spinal adjustments and deep tissue massages have a positive effect on treating local conditions. However, long-term results will only be possible by remedying the causes that led to the condition in the first place. The local chiropractor for neck pain you contact will know how to create a personalised exercise plan that will hopefully restore your muscles to a level where localised pain is no longer a problem.

It’s an Excellent Treatment Option

In Australia, chiropractic is a licensed healthcare profession regulated and administered by the CBA, a sub-department of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. What does this mean to you? Unlike in other countries, chiropractors in our nation have the necessary experience to handle your case and, more importantly, do not offer promises that do not coincide with reality.

Your local chiropractor for neck pain will provide you with a complete treatment plan that may include both spinal adjustments and recommendations for the correction of your posture. The services of chiropractors can be used in conjunction with those of physiotherapists, the efficacy of their offerings is scientifically proven, and the effect of the therapies is, in most cases, noticeable after a single session. From a massage for neck pain to electrical shockwave therapy or even acupuncture, the services offered by chiropractors target a wide variety of ailments that are difficult to manage with traditional medication.

Can chiropractic heal where modern medicine fails? No, because it is not magic but a health profession backed by data. Chiropractic can reduce inflammation experienced in chronic conditions, has a positive effect in reducing severe pain, and, when combined with joint and muscle manipulation techniques, can significantly reduce healing time after injuries. Can it be a magic cure for all your musculoskeletal issues? No. But it can be a helpful aid that will lead to measurable results.

Publication: 5 April 9:14